Getting a slice of the action

Pizza is essentially an open, hot, cheese-and-tomato sandwich - and like so many simple dishes it's very easy to get wrong. A good benchmark of anyone selling pizza is whether they can do a decent Margherita (simple tomato, cheese and sometimes basil).

This is the cornerstone of all good pizza so I tested Margheritas from independent pizza houses, the big name pizza chains and those available from supermarkets to cook at home. Here, in alphabetical order, is our guide.

L'Artista, 917 Finchley Road, NW11 (020 8731 7501) - independent
This is a jolly place and a hub of Golders Green social life. The dining room has a glass extension that encloses a swathe of pavement. Décor is Italian camp (gross version of the Mona Lisa included). They still twirl the pizza dough in the air. The Margherita is large and the crust is good, but is let down by the greasy quality of the cheese. Price £4.90 Score: 5/10

Eco, 162 Clapham High Street, SW4 (020 7978 1108) - independent
Busy and buzzy, Eco is the pizza place of choice in Clapham. If only the seats were a tad more comfortable it would make the experience less austere. The open kitchen is pretty frantic and the pizzas come to table still bubbling. Good large size pizzas, the Margherita somewhat let down by the quality of the cheese which is unnervingly plastic in texture. Price: £5.90 Score: 6/10

Marks and Spencer - to cook at home A 365g Cheese and Tomato pizza rather than a Margherita, billed as a "handcrafted stone-baked base topped with rich tomato sauce and a blend of mozzarella and cheddar". This is an experiment that doesn't really work as you end up with something perilously close to cheese on toast. It's sound rather than great. Easy to cook - 12 minutes at 170C.
Price: £3.49 Score: 6/10

Pizza Express, 20 Greek Street, W1 (020 7734 7430) - chain of restaurants Very large chain but reliable. Even old-timers who remember its beginnings (the clue is to ask people if they have enjoyed the Venice in Peril pizza) shouldn't be too upset by the march of progress. The Margherita is either "mozzarella and tomato, pure and simple" or the "Margherita Regina with the finest buffalo mozzarella, beef tomatoes and the freshest torn basil". This is cheating, the "ordinary" Margherita price is £5.25 and would have benefited from the better ingredients of the "Queen" priced at £6.65. The "simple" Margherita scores 6/10

Pizza Express - to cook at home Pizza Express-branded pizzas are lurking in the chiller cabinets of supermarkets. They are on the small side at 270g but cook quickly - nine minutes at 200C. The ratio of bread to topping doesn't really work on the Margherita and not enough cheese has been used. The home-cook pizza doesn't live up to the reputation of the one in restaurants.
Price: £3.59 Score: 5/10

Pizza Hut, 523 Oxford Street, W1 (020 7493 6427) - chain
The basement dining room was clean, the staff were brilliant - helpful, jolly and efficient. The food came really quickly but the Margherita was a lumpen, heavy thing with a double helping of greasy cheese. If this pizza was in the world of fashion it would be a shell suit. Pizza Hut offers a choice of "crusts": deep pan; cheese stuffed; to the edge and Italian. The Italian base is billed as the lightest and crispiest but it is still oozy and greasy.
Price: £3.90 Score: 3/10

Sainsbury's - to cook at home The Sainsbury's Italian Margherita is surprisingly good but the blurb is over the top; "hand-stretched Neapolitan-style pizza base crafted from focaccia dough topped with tomato and oregano sauce, mozzarella, cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of parsley". This pizza gets away with the addition of cheddar due to the tangy belt of oregano.
Price: £3.79 for the 12in, 443g size. Score: 7/10 This Margherita is the best cook-at-home pizza and comes second overall.

AND THE WINNER IS...
Zizzi, 2-6 Notting Hill Gate, W11 (020 7243
2888) - chain
The standard of Margherita here came as a welcome surprise. Zizzi cheats with the décor (firewood displayed on the wall and a gas flame in the back of the oven) but runs a smooth operation. Again, it's a pizza house that is more of an Italian restaurant with pasta offerings. The Margherita is large, well made, and with a good ratio of base to topping. The cheese isn't top-drawer, but together, the ingredients work very well.
Price: £5.30 Score: 8/10